Septal morselizer

ABSTRACT

A pliers-type of surgical instrument is provided with narrow jaws adapted to enter human nostrils on both sides of the septum. The mutually opposed faces of the jaws have pyramided teeth and recesses which interfit when the jaws come together. This morselizes and masticates the cartilage of the septum simultaneously on both sides. When the cartilage is thus morselized, the ELASTIN or BRAIN of the cartilage which is responsible for causing the cartilage to return to its original shape maintaining its architectural form is cut, permitting its reconstitution into a new shape which it thereafter maintains.

United States Patent Frank'F. Rubin 795 Southern Artery, Quincy, Mass. 02169 [21] Appl. No. 750,790

[22] Filed Aug. 7,1968

[45] Patented Jan. 26, 1971 [54] SEPTAL MORSELIZER 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

[72] inventor 521 11.5.01 128/319 51 Int.Cl ......A61b17/00 so FieldofSearch 128/305,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,566,626 9/195] Otto 128/312 3,395,709 8/1968 Rubin 128/305 Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp Altorne vM0rse, Altmann & Oates ABSTRACT: A pliers-type of surgical instrument is provided with narrow jaws adapted to enter human nostrils on both sides of the septum. The mutually opposed faces of the jaws have pyramided teeth and recesses which interfit when the jaws come together. This morselizes and masticates the cartilage of the septum simultaneously on both sides. When the cartilage is thus morselized, the ELASTlN or BRAIN of the cartilage which is responsible for causing the cartilage to return to its original shape maintaining its architectural form is cut, permitting its reconstitution into a new shape which it thereafter maintains.

SEPTAL MORSELIZER This invention relates to a surgical instrument specially designed to morselize and masticate the cartilage of the septum in a human nose. For this purpose the instrument is provided with elongated narrow jaws adapted to enter the nostrils, the mutually opposed faces of the jaws having areas of interfitting points and recesses arranged in checker-board fashion so that when the jaws engage opposite sides of the cartilage of a nasal septum and pressure is applied, the cartilage will be uniformly crushed on both faces to a mushy consistency of small intact morsels of cartilage and compressed mushy cartilage relieving the surface stresses of tension on both faces of the cartilage and stresses of compression on inner surfaces of cartilage so that it can be reshaped as desired and will retain the new shape indefinitely after the cartilage has been reconstituted.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof, and to the drawing, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the jaws of the instrument shown in FIG. 1, in an open position;

FIG. 3 shows the jaws closed;

FIG. 4 is a view of a face of the upper jaw as indicated by the line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a similar view of a face of the lower jaw as indicated by the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

The instrument shown on the drawing has two handles 10, 12 which are hinged together as at 13 and are resiliently pressed apart by suitable springs l4. The jaws l6, 18 may be operated by a single action or a double-action linkage, the latter being illustrated in FIG. 1. The jaws l6, 18 are narrow and elongated for insertion in human nostrils to fit between the membranes of the nasal septum after the mucoperichondrium has previously been elevated.

0n the mutually opposite faces of the jaws are areas 20, 22 of pyramidal points and hollows that interfit when the jaws come together. As indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the areas 20 and 22 has a checker-board pattern of pyramidal points 24 and pyramidal hollows 26. When the areas 20 and 22 are against the opposite faces of the septum cartilage and pressure is applied by manipulation of the handles 10 and 27., the corresponding areas of the cartilage are morselized and masticated and are reduced to a mushy consistency interspersed with fragments of normal cartilage, leaving the chondrocytes at the margins intact. The stress forces on the cartilage are thus eliminated, leaving a membranous structure which retains its tensile strength by reason of its fibril architecture of normal cartilage and compressed cartilage much like the mesh of a screen. in the resultant absence of cartilage resiliency and elasticity, the membranouslike structure may be repositioned in any desired shape and supported with loose packing after the mucoperichondrium has been replaced. Support of the nose can be retained in this manner when septal reconstruction of this type is being done. Within a few hours firmness returns due to some oedema and incipient reconstitution. in 21 days the cartilage returns to its normal appearance microscopically. It has been shown that histologically the car- 1 tilage will become completely reconstituted as a result of the action of the cartilage cells on the margins of the treated area.

The teeth 24 are so constructed as to produce multiple incisions on both sides of the cartilage without injuring the cartilage cells which serve to reconstitute the portion of the cartilage which has been morselized. The teeth, which interfit with opposing hollows penetrate the cartilage sufficiently to eliminate the stress forces on both sides of the cartilage; I enabling the cartilage to be reconstituted in a new permanent shape formed by the operator.

I claim:

l. A surgical instrument having a pair of elongated narrow jaws hinged together and adapted to be inserted in nostrils of a human nose, said aws havin on their mutuall opposed faces areas of points an hollows, t e points and hol ows on one aw interfitting with the hollows and points of the other jaw when the jaws are brought together, each said area having a checker-board pattern of pyramidal points and pyramidal hol lows, serving to cut cartilage and the elastin within the matrix into small morsels leaving the chondrocytes at the margins intact, some areas of the cartilage being compressed, these factors resulting in the elimination of the stress forces of tension and compression normally present in cartilage and permitting the cartilage shape to be permanently altered. 

1. A surgical instrument having a pair of elongated narrow jaws hinged together and adapted to be inserted in nostrils of a human nose, said jaws having on their mutually opposed faces areas of points and hollows, the points and hollows on one jaw interfitting with the hollows and points of the other jaw when the jaws are brought together, each said area having a checkerboard pattern of pyramidal points and pyramidal hollows, serving to cut cartilage and the elastin within the matrix into small morsels leaving the chondrocytes at the margins intact, some areas of the cartilage being compressed, these factors resulting in the elimination of the stress forces of tension and compression normally present in cartilage and permitting the cartilage shape to be permanently altered. 